For Better or for Worse
by JulesFire
Summary: If I tell you, you'll assume it's stupid and cliche and won't read it. Ok: it's a wedding, Robin's not at the wedding, and Raven's taken matters into her own hands Read Author's Note for full explanation. Oneshot, RS, SuperFantastic kiss thingy lol


_Alright, this one requires a bit of explanation. This idea came, as most of my ideas do, as a request from a member at the shrine. I was asked to do a scene reminiscent of the wedding scene in Spider-Man 2, when Mary Jane leaves the church to go to Peter. I thought it would be weird, but I'm sort of proud of how it turned out. This fic disregards the actual episode "Betrothed," and has Starfire in Earth-like wedding clothes. PLEASE do not comment on these particulars in your reviews; I have already admitted to straying from the TT reality. Again, this is not new territory. I know you guys want originality… but I write a lot of these, and yes, some of them come out cliché. I hope you can forgive me for posting this anyway; I don't know why, but I like it. I accept flames, by the way, so feel free to disagree with me :-)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans (or Spider-Man 2, for that matter, but I don't think this follows that scene closely enough to have to worry about that)._

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"_We are gathered here to celebrate the union of Princess Koriand'r and Prince Xolarn, of Tameran…"_

"Koriand'r?" Beast Boy wondered aloud, shifting in his uncomfortable seat.

"It's her name," hissed Raven through clenched teeth. Whenever she saw Starfire's face, she had to fight to keep herself from telekinetically tossing the minister across the room and right into the Tameranian Grand Ruler, who watched apathetically from the rear of the church. As much as she tried to be the voice of reason and practicality during this whole disaster, the idea of someone as sensitive and passionate as Starfire trapped in a loveless marriage inspired enough anger in Raven to effectively level the building – which was why she was concentrating so hard. She scrunched her eyes shut and grasped the bench, willing away her indignity and pain. Her thoughts taunted her: 'Star can't survive without love,' they said. 'She needs someone to care for her; someone to protect her; someone who will let her protect him…someone like—'

"Robin should be here," whispered Cyborg, with more than a hint of irritation in his voice. "The rest of us have to deal with watching one of our best friends getting married to some royal drip…" He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the prince. The truth was, nothing was wrong with Xolarn. He was polite, kind, respectful, and fairly good-looking. He would be a gentle, patient husband. He would also be well-mannered, and stiff. Prince Xolarn would never play football with his new wife, or bake her half-burnt bunny-shaped sugar cookies to cheer her up, or go Trick-or-Treating with her as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. He wouldn't make her laugh, and he wouldn't make her cry. Those days were over for her now. There would be no more team, and no more Robin. There would be nothing; and she would be alone. Cyborg cringed; they all knew Starfire hated to be alone.

"But, for Robin…you know, it must be just a little bit harder for him, right? I mean…you know?" Beast Boy was gesturing wildly, drawing the attention of several Tameranian lords in the front row who glared back at him menacingly. Raven caught his flailing wrists, and Cyborg rested a hand on his shoulder.

"We know, man, but you saw her face when she heard he wasn't coming? I mean, I wanted to go back to the palace and beat him down for not showing up."

Raven seethed. She was feeling too much; it was a bad day to be an empath. Desperately, she went outside of herself, finding Robin sitting on the floor of the guest room. He felt her enter his mind…and he didn't even fight it. He had no fight left in him. She slowly began to absorb his feelings and perceptions. Then it hit her, like a tidal wave breaking: the pain, sharp and piercing, spreading from his heart into his throat like hundreds of shards of glass. She gasped audibly, causing another commotion back at the church with her seemingly unprovoked outcry. Raven was not a telepath, but she could have sworn that Robin's emotions had been formed into a single, coherent idea; she also had a pretty good notion of what that idea was. A name. A flash of purple. A girl. _His _girl.

When Raven returned, to her physical self, she felt around for the emotions of the bride-to-be. She found out that feeling Starfire was even worse, due to the fact that the alien princess was just a few feet away from her, and wasn't denying the cause of her distress. Raven didn't have to go inside her to read her emotions perfectly. Everything inside Star was screaming, and the scream was as clear as day:

Robin.

Suddenly, the lights went out. For a moment, the church was in complete darkness. The creak of a door opening and closing was heard. When they flickered back on, the bride had disappeared.

And Raven was looking very pleased with herself.

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Robin knelt on the floor, running his hands repeatedly through his hair and breathing deeply. Raven knew. Raven had been inside him, and now she knew. Why didn't he care more that he did? There was a time when he had put guardrails around his heart and mind every time Raven saw him looking at Starfire, to keep her from learning the truth; now, it didn't seem so important. Nothing really seemed important anymore. Two thoughts kept alternating in his mind: one, he would never see Starfire again, and two, Starfire no longer belonged to him. He realized that he had always considered her to be his, ever since the day they found her and she used him to acquire the ability to speak. He had given her language, instructed her, loved her…and so she was his. But not anymore; she was someone else's now…He blinked the tears back before they had a chance to form. He had to remind himself that Starfire never really belonged to him, and therefore he wasn't really losing her. She was his best friend, only…his best friend, whom he loved with all the passion and tenderness that existed in his heart. That was all.

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Starfire was running, holding as much of the voluminous white skirt as she could. Her hair loosened from its knot and spilled down her back, causing her veil to drop onto the ground, forgotten. She tossed her bouquet over her shoulder so that she could lift her skirt with both arms, and kicked off her satin heels. She wanted to yell. She wanted to do cartwheels. Instead, she settled for rising into the air, spinning joyfully as the dress swirled around her. As she flew toward the guest wing of the palace, the setting sun illuminated the most radiant smile that had ever graced the Tameranian's face.

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"You love me."

Robin looked up, hastily wiping his eyes as he stood and turned toward the door. "Starfire?" He took a few involuntary steps toward her before stopping himself. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me, Robin. I said, you love me. I know you do….I am not certain how I know," she admitted, slightly unsure of herself as she stepped closer to him. "But somehow, I do. I heard it, as if it were a whisper in my mind …"

Robin blanched. 'Raven,' he thought. "Star, even if…if I were to…if we…what are you doing here?" His voice sounded exhausted.

Star stopped, looking at him curiously. "You do not understand? But it is so simple, Robin…much simpler than most things I have encountered during my life on Earth." She continued moving toward him. "You love me," she restated, smiling at the violent blush that colored his cheeks and confirmed the fact. "And," she added, stopping right in front of him, "I love you." She rested a hand on his cheek as he looked up at her, wonderingly. "What could be simpler? We are supposed to be together, yes?"

Robin couldn't breathe. He placed a shaking hand over hers. "Yeah, well," he managed, "You didn't mention that last part before…" They both smiled, gazing at each other, Star holding his face and Robin stroking her hand with his thumb. Then their smiles faded; Robin took hold suddenly behind Star's head, just as she grasped his shoulders. They pulled together simultaneously, their lips meeting in a breathtaking kiss filled with hunger, and passion, and promise. Robin's knees gave out from shock and relief, and they sank to the floor, laughing and kissing each other again. They belonged to each other; and they always would.


End file.
